David Pierdomenico
14 years have passed, but Incredibles 2 opens up with the very same scene which ended the original film and saw the superhero family about to take on the infamous Underminer. But while the film can pretend no time has passed, audiences cannot. Simply by being made, this film has a lot more to live up to. For the most part, it does a great job, but in other areas, it does leave something to be desired.
A Different Cinematic Landscape
Back in 2004, we were barely in the beginning of the great superhero boom that would come to dominate the box office as well as the overall film industry. There was no MCU or Dark Knight, and all the original film needed to do was be a fun superhero story. The original was very unique for its time, but if it were released today, it would be called uncreative and clichéd. Given the current climate, this film has a lot more expectation. And without the return of writer/director Brad Bird, it probably wouldn’t have been possible. Or at least it wouldn’t have had a chance to be as good.
Pretending That No Time Has Passed
As previously mentioned, this film wastes no time as it opens up with the Parr family taking on the Underminer as seen at the end of The Incredibles. Thus the events of this one directly follow it, as if both films are two halves that form one complete story. Which would work had that been the intention from the beginning. Instead this is more a typical sequel that just coincidentally follows its predecessor so directly. After dealing with some more fallout and the lack of the public’s support in superheroes, the family meets Winston and Beverly Deaver (voiced brilliantly by Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener), a brother/sister team who want to take up the cause of making superheroes legal and popular once again.
They start a PR campaign and choose Elastigirl to be the face of it. She dons a new uniform and goes around being a hero again. While it’s still illegal, she’s saving people and getting the public back on the side of supers. In many ways, this is the female led superhero film that Disney is only just now getting around to putting out. It’s refreshing to see and this storyline is by far the best and most interesting component of the film. It takes an fascinating turn when she is challenged to track down a new supervillain called the Screenslaver, who hijacks the TV airwaves to hypnotize people. Possibly in keeping line with how the genre itself has evolved, this storyline quickly becomes a compelling mystery to the point that at times it feels like we’re watching a David Fincher film. Had the majority of the film been devoted to this, it could have been great rather than merely good.
The “Other” Half of the Film
The second act, while brilliant with Elastigirl’s plot, feels very much like two completely different films. While his wife is out being a superhero again, Mr. Incredible is home with the children taking care of the house. He deals with an emotionally sensitive Violet, and overly energetic Dash, and the discovery of Jack Jack’s powers, which range from the awesome to the incredibly dangerous. It’s meant to be the fun, lighthearted balance from the dark mystery that is Elastigirl’s mission, but it can’t help but feel overdone. We’re meant to laugh as Mr. Incredible struggles to help Dash with his math homework and change diapers and keep the house together. But the entire “man struggles to raise kids and take care of the house without the wife” trope is tired and has been for at least a decade.
It would perhaps have been more interesting for Brad Bird to subvert the trope and have Mr. Incredible excel at it unexpectedly, but it’s clear that this storyline had less time and effort put into it. In addition the third act feels absolutely no different than that of the first film. The entire point of doing a sequel is to expand upon something or continue a storyline that is incomplete. This film does neither and therefore struggles to justify the existence of said sequel. Without revealing too much, the villain in this has a motivation all too similar to Syndrome, and a plan that once audiences really think about, doesn’t add up logically.
Enjoyable, But Not a Game-changer
Perhaps too much was expected of Incredibles 2. But when following up on such a beloved classic, anticipation is natural. It’s by no means a terrible film, it’s funny, action-packed, and overall entertaining. Just like in the first one, Edna gets limited screen time but steals every single scene she’s in. The animation is better and the voice acting is spot on. Due to the 14 year gap Spencer Fox could no longer voice Dash, so the role was recast with an unknown age appropriate voice actor. But it’s impossible to tell the difference, which is pretty impressive. Incredibles 2 may not be Pixar at its best like we saw recently with Inside Out and Coco. But when Pixar isn’t at their best, they’re still usually pretty good. Which this movie certainly is.
